Gor Mahia will go down in history tonight when they take on their fancied hosts Everton FC as the first side from East Africa to play an English top side on English soil.
Gor face Everton at 10pm in a match that is expected to attract quite a crowd both at Goodison Park and at home where most people will be watching on TV.
But Gor Mahia will not just be playing for the bragging rights, the match results is the least important thing in this fixture. Perhaps that’s is one of the reasons why their sponsors Sportpesa have not availed the game for betting.
There is more at stake, this is even bigger than the club itself, this about Kenya as a whole and it will change the way the world views Kenyan football.
@OfficialGMFC vs @Everton tonight . There is much more at stake than bragging rights, this is history in the making. Which side are you on? #EFCvGOR pic.twitter.com/LLlQEB8vic
— Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) November 6, 2018
For a long time, Kenya has been known as an athletics champion. That’s thanks to our famous pool of athletes like Mary Keitany who won the New York Marathon on Sunday and king Eliud Kipchoge who shattered the world marathon record in Berlin in September.
But the footballing talent in the country should not be overlooked. We have produced a UEFA Champions League winner in McDonald Mariga, when he won it with Inter in 2010. His brother Victor Wanyama is however the most famous footballer the country has produced as he currently turns out for Tottenham.
But the country still has top notch talent, and were it not for some poor management of the game by the decision makers, Kenya would have featured in the world cup already.
Some of these talents, will be on display on Tuesday evening when Gor turn out in their iconic Green colors. The world would get a glimpse of the fleet footed Francis Kahata, who is the heartbeat of the team and deserves more credit than he gets.
Apart from Kahata, scouts will also get to know captain Haron Shakava and Harambee Stars Right Back Philemon Otieno. These are just part a few names in a team that has won four of the past five KPL titles.
We hope some of the players remain in Europe after the match.